A new film directed by James Redford, Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope, explores the childhood events that affect our adult health, from smoking to obesity to heart disease
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The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee is a non-fiction book shortlisted in the Wellcome Book Prize 2017. It explores the history of gene science, and the author's own family experience of genetic inheritance
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The election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States was a shock to many in the US and around the world. What do we know about the psychology of this divisive candidate and his followers
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You will have been told repeatedly that university will be the best time of your life. Fingers crossed that's true, but here's five things to know which will hopefully make your first year go smoothly.
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For this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, the Mental Health Foundation is focusing on mindfulness. We asked renowned mindfulness teacher and author Ed Halliwell what he thought about this initiative, and for advice on successful mindfulness practice.
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Marion Coutts was tonight awarded the Wellcome Book Prize 2015 for The Iceberg, published by Atlantic Books. Welldoing attended the special announcement ceremony held in the Wellcome Collection's new Reading Room.
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Mortician Caitlin Doughty spoke to Claudia Hammond at the recent Barbican Open Salon event, in association with Canongate books. Here is what she has to say about constantly evolving death culture in our society.
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The Wellcome Book Prize is an annual award, open to works of fiction and non-fiction which to be eligible must have a theme which focuses on health, illness or medicine. The last of our reviews of the shortlisted texts looks at Bodies of Light by Sarah Moss. The winner will be announced next week.
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Next in our series of Wellcome Book Prize Shortlist 2015 reviews, learn where you came from with The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being by Alice Roberts. It's an entertaining, mind-expanding romp through the fields of embryology, genetics and zoology, which will leave most readers far better-educated than they started out
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Time to happily welcome back our old and often flighty friend, the sun, and along with it, some much needed Vitamin D. But how much do you need? And aren't we supposed to shield our skin from the sun anyway?
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Sigh. It’s V-day. Plastic, commercialised love is all around.
No, maybe that’s not entirely fair; why shouldn’t couples have a day to show some (cheesy) appreciation?
But for people who don’t fit the cookie-cutter template it can be frustratingly difficult to avoid Valentine's day. Many people feel increasing pressure and self-criticism for not being partnered up this February 14th. I don’t see that hypocrite Cupid flying around with his girlfriend or boyfriend all the time, but somehow we’re all supposed to feel that way on this day.
Here’s...
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It’s a tricky time of year. Money can be tight after Christmas, exercise may have taken a back seat whilst you have instead indulged in second helpings. So many things to feel bad about and resolve to fix.
Then there’s the build of up the big night on New Years eve, which - whether it was good or a bit of a let down - will leave most starting the year with a deathly hangover which you push aside, swearing it’s your last, and aiming to start fresh and embrace the whole new you in 2015.
A whole new you is a whole lot of pressure to put on yourself, especially...
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Seasonal Affective Disorder is a cyclical depressive period which usually occurs in autumn and winter. Sufferers are plagued with symptoms such as fatigue, increased appetite, loss of interest in daily activities, loss of libido, inability to focus and feelings of anxiety and irritability. People may automatically turn to alcohol and drugs to self-medicate, which in turn can make symptoms worse.
SAD is thought to be caused by the lack of sunlight in the winter months. The lack of sunlight is thought to affect the functioning of your hypothalamus, the part of your...
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Going home for Christmas from Uni can lead to an interesting couple of weeks.
Often a toxic mix of December exams and end of term parties will have left you exhausted and yearning for your bed at home and some home cooked food.
For the first few days all is well. Talking to my friend Becky this morning, she says hers is a three-day threshold (mine personally is a two-day) wherein being home is the most relaxing and enjoyable time, mostly spent catching up on sleep and eating.
But after the honeymoon, oftentimes home can become the last place you want...
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The demands of social situations make some of us feel extremely anxious.
Those of us who do suffer from social anxiety know that there is not much worse than the feeling that grips you when you can’t say a word, you’re blushing, you keep preparing what to say in your head only to miss the opportunity…
Social anxiety can be contradictory in nature. People with social anxiety tend to approach social situations with feelings of unworthiness; thinking that they aren’t good enough, or smart enough, or pretty enough, or interesting enough. At the same time they...
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The UK’s first Paleo restaurant has recently opened in Notting Hill, London and is already pretty much booked out until January. Welldoing popped down to have a chat with co-owner Adib Bamieh, sample some food, and see what all the buzz is about.
Pure Taste is a fine dining establishment (£15 - £32 for a main), located in Notting Hill specifically to cater for people who have decided that eating a Paleo diet will benefit their health. That doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it though; Adib told us that it’s a 50-50 split between Paleos and curious foodies.
Adib...
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Most of us are pretty obsessed by time. Either by having too much of it, or running out of it, it dictates much of what we do, and how in control we feel.
Time is actually the most commonly used noun in the English language - amazing, I know. The Beatles’ most commonly used noun was Love, so maybe we could take a lesson from that.
Welldoing had the pleasure of attending a Plug in your Brain event at Westminster University, where Claudia Hammond, of BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind, delivered an engaging talk about time. I wanted to share a few things that we...
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I got married when I was 21. I’m now 23…and still married – success! It’s a decision which has had a more profound effect on my sense of self than I ever imagined, which I realise might sound a little odd.
When I told people I was getting married I was called insane, romantic (not always as a compliment), foolish, brave, and surely-pregnant. On the day itself, I was called beautiful, so that’s all good. The time afterwards has easily been the most interesting, but I’ll get to that.
My parents very vocally didn’t approve, so the month before became the worst...
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